Echo Show 8 (1st Gen) Adjustable Stand - White

I finally got my first Amazon Echo Show with Alexa. I am kicking myself for not getting one earlier! I have fell in love with these devices and their many capabilities that I bought a dot, 2 Echo Show 5’s an Echo Show 8 and the new Echo Show 8HD! I am loving all the things they do. If you don’t have one and you’re on the fence here is the breakdown, pros and cons:Breakdown: super SUPER easy to use. Plug in the power cord and follow the on screen steps to set up your device to your liking. There are multiple clock faces to choose from, sounds for alerts and you can pick a background or use your photos from Amazon’s photo app. (I also was new to that app and Alexa. Both were super easy to use! My pictures synced faster than any other photo cloud storing app hands down. Plus as a bonus you don’t need to pay for storage. There’s no limit and zero fees!!)Once you’ve set up the Alexa app (I recommend the Smart Life app that’s compatible with smart devices/plugs and Apple Watch!) you just ask Alexa what you need and boom, it’s done! I asked her to calm down my dog and she put on music! I am amazed. You can make shopping lists (No more searching for a pen and paper in my kitchen), Ask for recipes, play videos, surf the Internet, find out the weather, watch your photo albums, make phone calls to anyone who has the same type of device (like most of the world does by now). It’s seamless and I even had my 8 year old set one up because it was so easy. I love the parental control platform it allows for too!Pros:Super easy to set upBeautiful looking with or without the swivel baseAmazing pictureGreat compatibility with phones, smart plugs, Works perfectly with smart devices and appsBetter than FaceTime for video callsLoud speakers with excellent sound qualityAlexa, Alexa, Alexa! Alexa’s voice recognition is so much better than Siri! Siri can’t understand a thing I say (I don’t even have an accent). If I ask Siri for the weather it gives me traffic. Super frustrating. I think that’s why I was hesitant at getting one of these. Man I wish I knew how much better Alexa is! Everything I ask is instantly understood and taken care of!! Music, calls, drop ins, weather...anything!The value for the price is unbeatableEverything about this device is a Pro!!Cons:It’s constantly listening. But honestly, I don’t worry about that. I’m sure the government listens in and sees things just through WiFi, the Nelson rating TV system, Arbitron ratings in your radios, computer cameras and cellular/mobile devices. This isn’t the only thing out there and really it’s so worth it for everything you can use it for. Besides, anyone that paranoid about what they’re saying is probably on The Hunt with John Walsh. LOLThe final analysis: BUY THESE DEVICES!! Get them for each room. Enjoy the capability to make your day to day life easier and more fun! Play music, dance and sing and be silly. Display your photos, try a new recipe and make sure that your prepared for rain, snow or heat. The Echo devices are like having a personal assistant that’s holding a computer screen. So enjoy your new found “tech” if you don’t already have any and you’ll be amazed like me at what these devices can do!The swivel stand is a MUST have to make it so that you can adjust for cooking, video calling or whatever else you’re interested in. Super easy to install and well worth buying!

Still haven’t on my kitchen counter I don’t use it a lot just like I don’t use my other echo either. Guess I’m just not as techy as I thought I was, but it works well and you can ask good questions and see things. My daughter has one and uses it a lot for recipes and everything else so I would say, you’re gonna use it for recipes other info like that it’s a good choice

This was a great purchase! We love it and we use it every day! I see many complaining about ads and such - not sure what the issue with that is but I don't find anything being annoying - we enjoy all the information that comes across the screen. Let's talk about it... large screen - makes watching videos or reading information so easy. All you do is ask a question and BOOM its right there for you. We talk to Alexa ALL THE TIME and told her she's now an adopted part of the family. She appreciated that ;) The sound is great as is the camera and if you don't want the camera on you can always flip the shutter. I like that I can "check in" and see my mom during the day to make sure she's ok - it's almost like FaceTime. We loved this so much we ordered another one for our bedroom. The other rooms have the Echo Dots but I'm sure they'll upgrade to the Echo Show as we have a lot of fun with this. You can also send an announcement to every device in the house if needed. The features are plenty! Works with any device you have connected - even the smart plug. I love adding things to my shopping list too! When I get to the store, I open the app and my shopping list is right there so I never forget a thing nor have to write anything down. Want to cook a great meal but don't have a recipe? Just ask and it will be on the screen with step by step instructions that you can watch as you go! Want to listen to your favorite music or news station? Just ask Alexa to play it and POOF its on! If you are thinking about getting one - just do it! You will love it! I chose to get the stand because I like the way it looks. With or without, this device will become a permanent favorite in your home!

I use it so often for simple things, love having the smart plugs attached to alexa, the ease of turning on or off lights without having to run up or down stairs is fantastic. The sound quality and video quality is great. The only issues I have is sometimes it doesn't understand what I say or want or slow to respond unless I speak like I'm talking to a child, the other thing that drives us nuts is, if you have more than one device in ear shot, they all respond to the wake word, I don't want to confuse my family by changing the wake words for different device. I like the make announcement feature but wish there was a repeat for that, sometimes my family does not hear it the first time depending on background noise or their location to the device. Also wish once the wake words are activated that you could just have conversation without having to repeat wake word each step. Like adding items to the shopping list. That is one feature I really like, the shopping list. It goes to my phone and I can check off what I did get, and hubby can add things to the list even while I'm out shopping instead of calling me. The range is strong as long as you have strong internet connection. The home screen shows recipes that inspire our menu, and the ability to add the ingredients straight to the shopping list is very nice, no need to write it down. My grandchildren use it to listen to music, or if they ask me a question I tell them to ask alexa. There is also a great feature for keeping in touch with elderly people or family that you need to check in on. Easy to set up. Overall I give it a five star rating. If things change, I will update this review.